This article was machine-translated from the Korean original. Read the Korean original
01Prologue: Taking Out Your Frustration on the Green, When You Turn Toward the Caddie
The 10th hole, right in the middle of the fairway. A middle-aged male golfer, who had just hit his tee shot into the rough, returns to his cart and mutters an annoyed remark. "Hey, why did you hold the club like that earlier?" The caddy standing beside him puts the clubs away and prepares for the next hole without a word in return, wearing an expression that seems accustomed to it, yet is by no means pleasant.
To be frank, failing to shoot a single-digit handicap is mostly not the caddy's fault. Ultimately, it is the player's own hands and body that select the club and execute the swing. However, at domestic golf courses, it is still not uncommon to see the blame for a missed shot directed at the caddy. Behind this peculiar power imbalance lies the "caddy fee," a structure that appears simple on the surface but is quite distorted when examined closely.
On the surface, caddie fees are clear. They are set at around 120,000 to 150,000 won per team, which comes out to about 30,000 to 40,000 won per person if split among a team of four. Up to this point, it appears to be a strictly fixed-price system. However, the unspoken rules that actually take place on the course reveal another layer hidden within this fixed-price system.
Unlike existing media outlets that rely on advertisements from major golf course corporations and do not cover such uncomfortable stories, Club14 examines the reality of the tipping culture and power imbalance hidden behind caddie fees as it is.
02Seemingly a Fixed Price, But Not — The 'Express Fee' Practice Hidden Above Caddie Fees
It is not uncommon to hear in golf communities that the practice of adding an extra 'tip' on top of the fixed caddie fee remains deeply rooted in the culture of some golf courses. There is nothing wrong with a tip given voluntarily after a round as a token of gratitude for satisfactory service. However, there are quite a few reviews indicating that in reality, there is an underlying expectation that "you must add a tip for the caddie to examine the green lines more closely and provide meticulous assistance with club selection."
Conversely, there are also complaints that the service seems to drop significantly if a tip is not given. Of course, this is merely a personal anecdote and does not apply to every caddie or every golf course. However, some point out that the very fact that such stories are repeatedly discussed is evidence that an unofficial practice of charging an "express fee" is layered on top of the nominal fixed-price caddie fee.
Caddies also feel a sense of injustice. They are placed in a vulnerable employment structure where giving the impression of demanding tips immediately leads to being branded a "power-abusing caddy," and a single customer complaint can result in the termination of their assignments. Ultimately, this awkward tug-of-war over tips has become a distorted rule that no one explicitly established but everyone implicitly follows, making both caddies and golfers uncomfortable.
03The caddie is the underdog, the golfer is the underdog — in the end, the only one smiling is the golf course.
At a significant number of golf courses in Korea, caddies work on a contract or as independent contractors rather than as regular employees. Industry insiders report that because the structure relies on sharing fees rather than a fixed salary, a single customer complaint can result in being dropped from future assignments or even forced to transfer to a different company. In a system where only friendliness can ensure survival, caddies frequently have to comply with unreasonable demands with a smile.
However, golfers are not exactly in a position of power either. They must pay the exact amount set by the golf course for caddie fees, and when the implicit tipping culture is added on top of that, the actual burden continues to increase. Ultimately, in a structure where both caddies and golfers are wary of each other like subordinates, critics point out that it appears only the golf courses that design and operate this system are reaping stable profits without bearing the actual burden of caddie labor costs.
04The Front Lines of Emotional Labor — People Who Get Angry at Caddies
Although golf is said to be a mental sport, when one's mental state crumbles, the first target is usually the caddy who silently drives the cart and takes care of the clubs by the side. Cases of some golfers giving instructions in an informal tone, getting annoyed every time a miss occurs, or even raising their voices as if venting their personal stress are a recurring complaint consistently discussed in the caddy community.
Of course, this relationship is not always one-sided. There are also reviews from golfers who have experienced the arrogant attitude or unreasonable demands for service from some caddies. Ultimately, the common point of those who have observed this issue for a long time is that the essence of the problem lies not in the character of specific individuals, but in the structure itself, which operates by relying solely on the vague convention of "kindness and tips" without institutional mechanisms to clearly protect the treatment and rights of caddies.
05Editor's Note — The score is ultimately my responsibility
Let's take a cold, hard look at this. It is far more likely that my failure to shoot a single-digit score today was due to my own judgment in picking the wrong clubs, rather than a lack of advice from the caddie. A caddie is an assistant, not the one responsible for the score. The moment you take out your frustration over a missed shot on the caddie, the dignity of that round has already collapsed, regardless of the score.
Whether or not to tip is a matter of personal choice, but at the very least, one should not use caddies as an outlet for their emotions. Furthermore, it is now time to question the golf course operational structure that has focused solely on profit while neglecting this distorted power imbalance.
In the next issue of [Off the Field], we return with "The Main Culprits of the 300,000 Won Green Fee Era," which directly targets the profiteering structure of major domestic golf course operating companies that created the era of 300,000 won green fees.
